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Residents press Spanish Fort council on loud "bass" music and cannon fire
Summary
Two residents urged Spanish Fort officials to address late-night vehicle "bass" noise and a neighborhood reenactment that used cannon volleys, prompting council to direct staff to contact organizers and explore outreach and enforcement options.
Levi Matthews, a Spanish Fort resident, told the city council on March 16 that recurring late-night "bass music" and loud vehicle exhaust have disrupted sleep and community life and can harm property values and health, citing studies as his reason for concern. "There's all kinds of cases that I heard that y'all talk about," Matthews said, and he urged low-cost education and signage, offering $200 toward outreach.
Council members said they agree the noise is a problem and asked City Attorney Connor and Police Chief Barber to follow up. "I think the signs are a good idea," Mayor Brad Bass said, but he cautioned that signs can backfire if they target neighbors. Council and staff discussed focusing outreach in public places such as parks and schools rather than private yards.
A second public commenter, a retired Coast Guard veteran, described a reenactment organized by a local Sons of Confederate Veterans camp that used musket and cannon fire for about an hour and a half during a monument dedication last September. He said the unexpected cannon blasts were difficult for some residents and asked whether the organizers should seek permits or be asked to forego cannon fire in residential areas. Connor said the ordinances likely require approval by the mayor, police chief or council for that kind of activity and recommended contacting the organizers to discuss notice, timing and limiting duration.
Chief Barber had offered earlier in the meeting a range of community policing options and told the council he and his staff would work with the mayor and city staff on responses. The council did not adopt any ordinance changes at the meeting; members directed staff to seek contact information for the reenactment organizers, explore outreach (signs, social media) and report back with possible enforcement steps and permit requirements for large or loud historical demonstrations.
Next steps: city staff and the police department will attempt to contact the reenactment group and will return to the council with recommended outreach and any ordinance or permitting options.
